Current Events > Moral choices in video games

(+) Yeah! (+)

Yes I will help rebuild your orphanage
>Kill everyone for no reason

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Super Metroid I always save the animals because I feel bad otherwise

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I made a top 10 about this once. I could do an updated one if I could be bothered.

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They've been getting better these days. I haven't run into any silly KOTOR-type "give someone your life-savings" vs. "kill orphans and baby animals" choices in any recent game.

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Fallout 3 in a nutshell

Kill the orphans
>Kill a basket of puppies

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"Will you shoot the puppy to save humanity?"
"...yes."

YOU HAVE CHOSEN INCORRECTLY.

Ivynn posted...

They've been getting better these days. I haven't run into any silly KOTOR-type "give someone your life-savings" vs. "kill orphans and baby animals" choices in any recent game.

New Pathfinder does it occasionally

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I wish there were more murky choices or choices that were more in the grey area that straddles right and wrong.

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This is what makes the first Deus Ex so good. Just the natural feeling of progression. In both the story and gameplay. Because of your choices.

Bioshock does the opposite. It gives you freedom towards your gameplay. But ultimately the story is based on what actions you don't have any choice over. It's just about really clever writing. Which is does well. Putting aside the fact that your endings are different based on what you did to the little sisters.

Witcher 3 does something a little different. It's Tries to give you a compelling world with interesting side quests. That allow you to dictate how they end mostly. While the main story gives you subtle choices, and not many really. That ultimately will shape the ending of the game. Which I thought was really clever form an open world perspective.

Red dead 2 gives you different endings based on your choices made through out the whole game. Story, random situations, side quests.

Chrono trigger hands you choices to make. With some having no warning whatsoever ever. Never beat the game. So I can't tell you how it all comes together. But I was impressed non the less with the perspectives the writing was trying to hand you.

I'll stop there.

Edit: Dishonored with the rat stuff is awesome as well. Love that series.

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CountDog posted...

Red dead 2 gives you different endings based on your choices made through out the whole game. Story, random situations, side quests.

The last choice in RDR2 is really dumb tbh

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unnamedsoldier posted...

Fallout 3 in a nutshell

Nah... that was more, "But you're a robot. Go into that chamber! Speaking of, why TF do I have to keep a Neutral alignment to have a robot? You're a damn robot! Also, somehow I became Wasteland Jesus for handing out a 20 oz. bottle of water to a bum..."

Bethesda gets slightly better with DLC. Far Harbor for Fallout 4, as an example, let you decide the fate of everyone in the area; and get a free Perk depending on your choice. If that wasn't enough for you it was also possible to go back to the Commonwealth and tell the BoS about the place... Yeah.

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> do nothing
> Set orphanage on fire
> Set hospital on fire

(Sets orphanage on fire)

"Wow you didn't even set both of them on fire" (Morrigan disapproves -10)

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Basically. They are too polarized towards extremes, either too simple and poorly thought out when it comes to consequences, and / or worse it doesn't matter what you do despite them giving you the illusion of choice because things will still play out the exact same or very similarly.

>kills both good and evil people to maintain neutrality

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Wii_Shaker posted...

I wish there were more murky choices or choices that were more in the grey area that straddles right and wrong.

This is the only time they actually make the game better. If there's an obvious good choice, there's not really a choice for me. Evil runs usually just make you miss out on content. Or at least it seems like it would. Cause you kill the people who give the game depth.

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Tyranthraxus posted...

(Morrigan disapproves -10)

>Set Morrigan on fire

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To this day, I still didn't kill any Little Sisters.

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Wii_Shaker posted...

I wish there were more murky choices or choices that were more in the grey area that straddles right and wrong.

The character creation in the old Ultima RPGs from the 80s and 90s actually had you choose between two good moral choices

Shotgunnova posted...

To this day, I still didn't kill any Little Sisters.

You literally get more for not killing them so it's a genuinely pointless option unless you're trying to challenge yourself

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Ruvan22 posted...

The character creation in the old Ultima RPGs from the 80s and 90s actually had you choose between two good moral choices

Man you just made me think of the character creation for Ogre Battle March of the Black Queen which I think no one has ever really figured out what the "good" choices are.

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Tons of different takes on this

GTA for example is an interesting scenario a game where by the player obeying the law makes it difficult & they play at tempting the you to just go nuts & jack cars & run people over. There are very little consequences in GTA. Opposite Assassins Creed were murdering innocents was strongly dissuaded against. Then, theres games that just make you think too...

Sometimes by taking our choices away, we make the strongest moral message to the observer.

god i loved the interrupts in mass effect.

>listen to inane babble from criminal.
>push criminal out window.

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DuneMan posted...

Tyranthraxus posted...

(Morrigan disapproves -10)

>Set Morrigan on fire

Alistair approves +15
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unnamedsoldier posted...

Fallout 3 in a nutshell

The only exception weirdly being that tree guy quest. It's the only quest I actually like in that whole game.

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Donate kidney to needy child
>Kill puppies

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Let the trolley kill four workers
Switch the trolley so it kills one person
>Use your rocket launcher to blow up the person, the workers, and the trolley

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pogo_rabid posted...

holy shit
lmao